Aidan Walsh and Lindsay Finkel have become a well-oiled machine that produces athletic apparel. Now, their brand, Racefaster, is launching a new line of footwear this fall.

Customers can go into their two store locations — one in Ridgewood and another at Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus — and see that all apparel is made by Racefaster. However, the shoes aren’t, which is something Walsh and Finkel want to change. They have worked tirelessly over the last two years developing the footwear line.

Walsh, a Fort Lee resident, focuses on the function of the shoe from a runner’s perspective and Finkel, a trend forecaster from Fair Lawn, focuses on the design.

“We’re runners and there’s always something in a shoe you wish was better,” Walsh says. “There are all these improvements we’d like to see with the sneakers that are out there, and now we have the ability to make, what we believe, is the perfect sneaker.”

“We have found that my weaknesses are [Finkel’s] strengths and vice versa, so it really is a great partnership,” says Walsh.

The development of the sneakers called for trial and error. Walsh put the prototypes through bad weather and almost 500 miles to get the shoe to fit a runner’s needs.

“We produced a shoe you can wear, look good, feel good and perform well in,” says Finkel.

The Racefaster running shoes offer customers a lightweight feel with a heavy cushion for comfort. In doing so, Walsh and Finkel sought help from a designer in Brazil to develop a technology called “suspension system.”

“Runners are looking for something newer and better and that’s what we give them,” says Walsh.

The company will be launching two sneakers for men and women in several colors, and over the following months, Walsh and Finkel hope to finalize styles before introducing new ones. They plan to have at least five styles for both men and women.

According to Walsh, customers love the On brand sneakers currently sold at Racefaster, and he sees no need to discontinue selling it as his own footwear hits the shelves this month.

Building a following

In 2015, Racefaster opened its first store in Ridgewood while also launching an apparel line. However, the production and launch of the sneaker line does not compare to that of the clothing line. “To introduce [customers] to sneakers from a brand they already know is easy,” Walsh says. “But introducing a clothing line from a starter brand is hard.”

Walsh’s and Finkel’s participation in a series of events that Racefaster owns and manages, like The Racefaster Half Marathon and 5K, allows for hands-on experience in customer engagement. “We call it an ecosystem,” Walsh says. “We’ve really grown and created this loyal customer base, and people are learning about us all the time. People identify with Racefaster because they know us.”

Racefaster aims to compete with well-known brands like Lululemon, and Walsh says that an advantage the company has over big competitors is that it is locally based. “It’s not far-fetched to want to compete with bigger companies,” he says. “We have the advantage of making decisions that will benefit both the customers and the company.”

Customer feedback is also encouraged during interactions with consumers, and Walsh believes it can make a huge difference in the quality of the products. “People can make suggestions on products, and maybe we agree with you and the product changes,” Walsh says. “You can’t walk into Nike and do that because they’ll say, ‘There’s the door.’”

A new store location is planned for The Mall at Short Hills this month. And the East Coast brand also sells its products at several gyms, including Sweat in Glen Rock, No. 18 Boutique in Hoboken and Kaizen Lifestyle Coaching in Waldwick.

Walsh and Finkel are confident in the quality of Racefaster sneakers and are excited to share them with the community. “The idea is that if our product was another brand, I’d still buy it,” Walsh says. “My favorite shoe is ours.”